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Wolfgang
Germany
470 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 29 2006 : 06:47:23 AM
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Hi wise ones  ,
since one or two weeks I realise that my jaw muscles
are quite tight, too tight and causing a bit of pain
when I open my mouth (please don't tell me to keep
my mouth shut  )
About 10 months ago I had a session of cranial sacral
massage and the therapist asked about my tight jaw,
and I admitted that I am quite doggedly.
I guess this indicates some dogged determination in me,
some need to chew and bite something hard.
May be I am trying too hard to work something out ...
Yawning seems to help for this situation (loosening the jaws),
and I wonder I anybody got some additional advice for me.
Love and Light
Wolfgang |
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Kyman
530 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2006 : 08:13:37 AM
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I've been experiencing that as well. It must be an energy thing like all other muscle contractions.
What I do is after I become aware that my jaw is tight, I relax it with my awareness, and then the energy seems to move down the nasal area.
Also, try locking your throat up. Swallow and in mid swallow hold your throat in the state. It may draw the energy away from the area that is causing your jaw to tense up. |
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Yoda
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2006 : 09:42:34 AM
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| Do gentle neck, jaw, and tongue stretches regularly. That should clear it up entirely. You might try experimenting with magnesium supplements if stretching doesn't clear it up. |
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 12:57:33 AM
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It's caused by prana trapped in head, can't get down past throat chakra. I've had long and hard experience with this. 3 things to try:
1. stand up, bend knees slightly, back straight. bend arms with forearms out straight and parallel at belly level. Visualize a ball between hands. Exhale into the ball.
2. do some AYP style pranayama, but only the "down" part. don't force, but let all the energy ooze downward on the exhale.
3. if #1 and #2 don't do it, suspend AYP pranayama for a while and do this. visualize, on exhale, prana moving down your face from your third eye, through your sinuses into the roof of your mouth. LIGHTLY press tongue to the little bump behind front teeth (but keep tongue relaxed), visualize energy running down tongue, to back of throat, to front of spine, then down to root. Do it like yawning, very opening (and, per #2, don't force!). Feel the pooled energy draining from the jaw. This is the TAoist pathway model, which clashes a bit with AYP pranayama (no long term issues, just don't practice both at same time). And this is what I resort to when the problem arises
Do NOT go to a doctor (who'll refer you to a dentist, who'll call it TMJ and prescribe horribly invasive things that won't help). It's a spiritual condition, not medical. |
Edited by - Jim and His Karma on Dec 30 2006 12:58:39 AM |
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 01:42:49 AM
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It could also be that you grind your teeth at night.
If so, get yourself into the habit of clenching your fists - instead of your jaws - during the day - to retrain your mind to react to stressful situations, in this way, until it becomes second nature.
I was going to suggest that you "punch a pillow", during the day, but I don't think that your significant other would agree with this advice: LOL.  LOL.
VIL |
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Wolfgang
Germany
470 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 04:57:47 AM
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Really thanks a lot to all of you for your valuable advice !
May the force be with you  |
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emc
2072 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 05:52:52 AM
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I learned a very quick way to get instant muscle relaxation and ease, but it is only short-term help.
Put your tounge under your upper lip in front of the teeth to the right of the little thread you have there. Stretch your tounge as much as you can upwards, then follow along the jaw, go to the right, stretch out your right cheek, go dow to the lower jaw, between underlip and in front of teeth. Follow a whole circle around your left cheek until you reach the top again. Stretch the tounge as far as you can. Then take another circle to the left, starting at the top. Then go down and place the tounge under your underlip in the middle and make a full circle to the right, and finally one to the left in the same way. The symmetry of it is important, so make sure you do 4 circles, two from top, two from bottom. This is an easy and fast excercise that helps me. |
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Wolfgang
Germany
470 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 08:02:20 AM
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Your suggestions are working very well, thank you.
Further details:
The pain in the jaw-muscles are mainly on the right side,
it also hurts when I start chewing food 
Anyway, seems to be improving now (hopefully also in the long run) |
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 10:53:26 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by VIL
It could also be that you grind your teeth at night.
There's a cause/effect issue. What the poster is talking about is TMJ, which is both caused by teeth grinding and causes teeth grinding. Dentists don't really know.
But yogis do. The cause of the entire thing is energy trapped in jaw, unable to descend (it happens even to people who don't do yoga...we all have energy moving around). |
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 11:00:41 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Wolfgang
The pain in the jaw-muscles are mainly on the right side
if you're following my advice, try to place your attention more on the side with the pain. When you feel like stuff's "moving" ok, then go back to symmetry.
When you practice AYP pranayama, observe your own symmetry of attention. It's surprisingly easy to get into a habit where your internal witness favors left or right side, not even realizing. I wouldn't do the overcompensation trick above in formal pranayama, but do pay attention to this issue. Are you "living" in one side of the body or the other? Is the watcher of the spinal breathing inhabiting one side more than the other? Just try to open ("undeaden") the other side.
If you practice asana, try light spinal twists before AYP.
IMPORTANT: Oh, and I'd curtail any energy-increasing practices (siddhasana, chin pump, banda, etc) until both the assymetry and the pain are rectified. Last thing you need is to pump more energy into this issue! |
Edited by - Jim and His Karma on Dec 30 2006 11:02:06 AM |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 12:07:19 PM
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quote:
Jim And His Karma: There's a cause/effect issue. What the poster is talking about is TMJ, which is both caused by teeth grinding and causes teeth grinding. Dentists don't really know.But yogis do. The cause of the entire thing is energy trapped in jaw, unable to descend (it happens even to people who don't do yoga...we all have energy moving around).
quote:
Misdiagnosis of Underlying Causes of Teeth grinding:
The list of possible underlying conditions mentioned in various sources for Teeth grinding includes:
Stress
Anxiety
Poor bite alignment
Dislocated jaw
Central nervous system disorder
New dental filling
Habitual teeth grinding
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/t/tee.../underly.htm
There can be many issues related to a stiff jaw and I think it pertinent for the poster to get various points of view, since it could be a medical condition, regardless if it is or isn't related to TMJ, especially considering his subsequent post:
quote:
Wolfgang: it also hurts when I start chewing food
Edit: My post wasn't meant to offend you, Jim..., but to give another perspective:
VIL
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Edited by - VIL on Dec 30 2006 12:55:13 PM |
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 1:37:55 PM
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Not offended, of course!
The poster's not complaining of tooth grinding, though. He's complaining about tightness in the jaw. And while I'm the first (and have been, in previous postings) to suggest that we all always check out traditional medical solutions as well as yogic solutions, tight jaw is 1. very poorly treated via medicine and 2. very well treated via yoga. in my opinion and my experience, that is. But my experience in this particular issue is extensive.
Again, if you go to a doctor for this, diagnosis will be TMJ and you'll be sent to dentist. And the dentist WILL find 27 things to do to you, because it's one of those trendy catch-all "syndromes" that milk endless treatment on myriad fronts. My dentist (a very prestigious one) wanted to take my teeth out and put them in better, because the problem was caused by my irregular bite. And, just to hedge bets, he wrote me a prescription to dose me up on valium, because general tensenenss and anxiety were affecting the problem. He made me multiple night guards, filed down my molars, accupuncture, etc etc. My jaw didn't get a bit better (and I myself got quite worse).
Doctors themselves are highly suspicious of TMJ specialists. They're seen as gold diggers and quacks.
TMJ is a very common malady, and it's well-known that westerners tend to have closed throat chakras. My three solutions are extremely simple and effective. By all means, try them before you enter the health care system with this particular complaint! :) |
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 1:48:47 PM
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I hear you, Jim, and I'm all for trying other methods before seeing a physician. But Bruxism also causes stiffness of the jaw, pain while eating and is also very easy to remedy.
Regardless, the important thing is that Wolfgang gets the help needed:
VIL |
Edited by - VIL on Dec 30 2006 2:17:58 PM |
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Wolfgang
Germany
470 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 2:23:28 PM
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Waoh, I am getting tripple checked here by all of you
The pain when chewing food is in the muscles, not in the teeth.
I had a regular dentist check up 2 weeks ago, there was no
mention of teeth grinding (my wife was there at the same time,
and the dentist diagnosed teeth abrasions which are caused
by teeth grinding; he suggested a night-implant for my wife,
it is not sure yet if she will get such an 'instrument').
As for myself, it is true that I have a tendency to knash
my teeth (not grinding though). Simple example: when I try
to use a screwdriver with strong force, then I also find myself
knashing the teeth/putting strain in my jaws.
So, it is mainly the strain in the jaw muscles which I need
to relax. So, thank you to all your suggestions !
Wolfgang
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 2:28:41 PM
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One more suggestion:
Take away Wolfgang's screwdriver. Problem solved. LOLOLOL...
VIL |
Edited by - VIL on Dec 30 2006 2:30:34 PM |
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 3:13:24 PM
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I should mention...there's nothing at all wrong with a night guard...if you are indeed grinding.
It's a good idea to remove stress and tension generally. And if you fix the problem of it pooling in your jaw, you still have a stress/tension problem. But the jaw thing can get really painful, and it does, as you say, make chewing tough (eat soft foods for a while). So good you're dealing with it.
Please let us all know what works for you. |
Edited by - Jim and His Karma on Dec 30 2006 3:14:12 PM |
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Wolfgang
Germany
470 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2006 : 03:46:03 AM
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Thank you Jim for your concern, appreciate it !
And to VIL: the screwdriver is now safely closed away
As for the stress/tension-situation: I probably need to
learn how to relax more, accept what karma/god leads me through,
trust that life brings goodness and not struggle so much.
Love and Light
Wolfgang |
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2006 : 2:21:29 PM
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I noticed a long time ago that all the deepest insights tend to boil down to dismayingly trite cliches. But I'm still always shocked when I notice this. Especially this one:
The entire spiritual path can be boiled down into one word: relax.
I could write volumes on this, but for one thing it explains something I've always wondered/worried about: the distinction between spirituality and insanity (i.e., lots of tales of enlightened people sound as if they're nuts - especially the zen guys). The distinction is: insane people are not relaxed, ever. Quiet, maybe, but not truly relaxed.
Whenever you have a choice, favor relaxation. And you can use relaxation as a yardstick (in assessing self-pacing, etc).
You're not driving the car. Relax your grip on the wheel a little, and you'll see that it's true! :) |
Edited by - Jim and His Karma on Dec 31 2006 2:33:42 PM |
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emc
2072 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2006 : 3:56:52 PM
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Hahaha! That is SO GREAT and so TRUE, Jim! I love your post! I have recently come to the same conclusion, but you put it in clear words. Whenever I remember to RELAX, everything gets so easy! The only time I wonder if I am going insane is when I am tense...
Thank you for making it so easy! I will remember that more easily now!
2007 - The year of relaxation! |
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Jim and His Karma
2111 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2006 : 9:01:02 PM
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quote:
Whenever I remember to RELAX, everything gets so easy!
The problem is you can't really tell people this unless they've experienced it for themselves. Because when they feel harried or angry or depressed and they try REALLY HARD to relax, and don't, they feel extra crappy.
The problem with these tritely boiled down insights is that you kind of have to experience them for yourself, in your own way and time.
As Yogani says (one of his best and most original insights, IMHO), it doesn't help to ACT enlightened. So simply getting more relaxed doesn't make you more spiritual. It comes when it comes. But I always benefit from bread crumb trails myself, so I like to leave them for others. Take in/give back, etc.
I'm glad you've seen the truth of this, emc. Once you see it, it makes things so much simpler. And it helps get past the misconception that we're seeking, on a journey, progressing, etc. All we're doing is recoiling less and less from an endless sea of love.
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Yoda
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2006 : 9:44:55 PM
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| I'd agree with Jim that w/ tight jaws think energy flow issues first. His energy exercises sound like they'd work very well, but just doing a few minutes of tongue stretching and neck stretches a day might be simpler. Stretches deliver a more relaxed jaw in minutes and daily habit completely eradicated my tight jaw after 4 months. |
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Tight jaw
